William nunns



UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM NUNNS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATON DANCER.

Specitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,962, dated May 3l, 1864.

.To all whom, i0 may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM NUNNs, of the city, county, and State ot' New York, have invented a new and Improved Automaton Dancer; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specitication, in which-P Figure l represents a sectional side el. vation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference in both views indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the application of a rising and falling platform connected to a vertically-sliding, rod, and operated by a pianoforte action, of any convenient construction, in combination with a jointed figure, of wood or other suitable material7 suspended over said platform in such a manner that on touching` the key the platform assumes a uniform rising and falling motion, and is thrown in contact with the feet of the jointed figure, and by repeating the blows on the key said figure assumes a dancing motion of the most comical kind.

y To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a platform or tri p-board, made of wood or any other suitable material, and suspended from a pivot, a, which has its bearings in two lugs, b, projecting from a sleeve, B, which works upon the. vertical rod C. This rod extends up through the upper crossbar of the frame D, which supports the entire mechanism, and its lower end rests on the inner end of a piano-forte key, E. This key has its fulcrum on a pivot, c, rising from the bottom board of the frame A, and it connects with the action F in the usual manner. This action may be of any of the well-known constructions of piano-forte actions, and it acts on the platform or trip-board A precisely in the same manner as an ordinary piano-forte action acts upon the hammer in a piano-forte, the platform or trip-board taking the place of the hammer, so that the same is raised and immediately relieved.

Gr is the dancer, which is made of wood or any other suitable material, with jointed limbs, and suspended from a wire, d, which is inserted in the top cross-piece ofthe frame A and the back of the dancer, as clearly shown in Fig. l. When the platform is down, the feet of the dancer must not touch the same, but they ought to come so close to it that when (by touching the key) said platform is raised it is thrown in contact with the dancers feet, precisely in the same manner as the hammer in a pianoforte is thrown in contact with the string. By touching the key in quick succession the dancer assumes a quick motion, striking with its feet against the platform, and producing a most comical effect. The motion of the key can be regulated by a slide, H, which is adjustable by means of a screw, It, passing through a slot, i, or in any other suitable manner. This slide consists, simply, of a wedge-shaped piece of wood, covered with felt or cloth, and placed under the key in a transverse position. By bringing a higher or lower portion ot' said slide under the key less or Inore motion is allowed to the same, and the motion of the tripping-plat form and of the dancer can thus be regulated to suit taste and convenience. By means of the vertical -rod C a back action can be produced, and the motion of the key may be transmitted to a second tier of platforms, and a .series of dancers might thus be arranged in one or more tiers, whereby the effect would be considerably improved and varied.

I do not claim, broadly, as my invention to impart a dancing motion to a jointed figure by the action of a rising and falling or oscillating board or platform thrown in contact with its feet, for this has been previously accomplished; but

That I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The tripping-platform A, in combination with the piano-forte action E F and dancer G, constructed and operating in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and dcscribed.

WI LLIAM NUN N S.

Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, HENRY MEANS. 

